Archive for May 14, 2008

West Virginia: Understanding the Reagan Realignment

Hillary Clinton just won West Virginia, by at least thirty percentage points.

Now, Clinton claims that no Democrat has won the presidency, since 1916, without the help of West Virginia. While her claim is technically true, she seems to be arguing that West Virginia is (1) a Democratic stronghold and (2) a key to victory. Both are incorrect. Anyone who argues that West Virginia is a “Democratic stronghold,” which any Democratic candidate can expect to win, hasn’t been paying attention to politics since 2000.

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